The Elders' shouts didn't escape Liam's ears, but his mind remained stuck on the sensations that dense atmosphere had caused.
The Discipline Elder was already a being beyond Liam's comprehension. His mere presence could freeze Liam. He could appear and disappear without Liam even noticing his moves.
Yet, the voice that had resounded from the braziers was somehow even further beyond the Discipline Elder. It was immense and profound, as if belonging to an act of nature rather than a man.
'How vast is the cultivation journey?' Liam wondered. 'And what even is strength for a cultivator?'
Liam could add Qi to flesh and bones, but that still seemed to fall short for some reason. He couldn't explain that hunch, either. That boundless voice had simply made Liam believe that there had to be more.
The grey fire on the braziers vanished as quickly as it had arrived, and the same went for the dense atmosphere. The silence endured, especially when it came to the audience past the hall, but the Elders soon straightened themselves.
Both Elder June and Elder Lewis threw regretful looks at Liam before glancing at their companion. Now that the Sect Leader had spoken, the matter was beyond their reach, and it was up to the Disciplinary Elder to handle it.
The Disciplinary Elder showed a similar regret, but his stern expression recovered quickly.
"The Pale Moon Sect is happy to welcome you as its new disciple, Liam," The Disciplinary Elder declared, his voice loud enough to reach the farthest corners of the crowd. "Regulations want everyone to start as outer disciples, but your status is bound to change soon."
The second part was something Liam couldn't understand, but the first was enough to fill him with innocent excitement.
"Thank you, Sir!" Liam exclaimed. "Does it mean I get to keep the cave?"
Elder June and Elder Lewis wore stiff smiles. They had only heard a summary about Liam, but it became clear that his gaps in knowledge also involved his decorum.
"Until the Sect finds you a better one," The Disciplinary Elder confirmed, knowing it was time to address some of those issues. "Disciple Lucy!"
The shout was for the crowd, which opened to highlight a person standing among it. Lucy had obviously attended the event, and being called directly put her on her best behavior.
"Yes, Disciplinary Elder!" Lucy greeted, performing a bow.
"Escort Disciple Liam to the baths," The Disciplinary Elder ordered. "He must wear the Pale Moon Sect's colors from now on, and fill him in on the basics."
"Yes, Disciplinary Elder!" Lucy repeated.
"Disciple Liam," The Disciplinary Elder promptly called. "Go to Disciple Lucy and listen to what she teaches you. Also, focus on mastering the circulation technique until the Sect decides what to do with you."
Liam nodded. He had to admit he was quite excited. The dreaded test had gone well. The Sect had welcomed him, and he could finally focus on the magical aspect of that new world.
However, when Liam hurried toward the crowd without saying goodbye, something in the scene poured cold water on his excitement.
Liam could now understand that the crowd was made of disciples, fellow disciples. They were supposed to be his peers, but he only saw hesitant and slightly fearful respect in their faces.
Some disciples even diverted their gazes and lowered their heads, with the most glaring examples being Erik and Kyle. They also were among the crowd, and neither dared to meet Liam's eyes.
That and the Elders' strange behavior could only have one explanation. Liam hadn't taken Lucy's words lightly, but it seemed he had failed to understand how much having nine spiritual roots mattered in that world.
And, naturally, Liam knew he went even beyond that, which reinforced his belief to keep the matter a secret. If nine spiritual roots could make the powerful Elders fight for him, he had no idea what ten would cause.
Lucy didn't let Liam linger in that scene for too long. After noticing his hesitation, she decided to step forward and grab his arm, leading him away from the crowd.
Murmurs immediately resounded, but Lucy ignored them, leading Liam to one of the huts on the plateau. She barged in, its insides featuring a rocky tunnel that led into the mountain, which she didn't hesitate to drag Liam across.
The tunnel was dark, but braziers hanging from its rocky ceiling lit up at Lucy and Liam's passage. The channel was also short, opening into an underground chamber that featured a series of small waterfalls that created pool-like structures on the ground.
Liam had heard the falling water even before entering the tunnel, but the scene remained captivating. The waterfalls seemed to fall from random holes in the rocky ceiling, but the pools on the floor never overflowed, hinting that something magical was at play there.
Nevertheless, Lucy had no intention of letting Liam focus on the scene. As soon as the two reached the chamber, she let go of him and turned to face him, even crossing her arms in anger.
"Did you know?" Lucy questioned. "It's why you asked so many questions about the spiritual roots. You knew, didn't you?"
Liam opened his mouth but didn't speak. He knew what he had said, but his past words had probably sounded way more dramatic than they needed to be. He had felt justified since he thought he was done for, but things had turned for the best instead.
"I … I have a secret I absolutely can't say," Liam declared, opting for vague honesty. "Miss Lucy, you have been good to me, really good. I don't want anything to happen to you, so please don't ask."
Liam also lowered his gaze, both in thought and internal conflict.
'I don't want to kill her,' Liam confirmed in his mind. 'I like Miss Lucy, but is there a world where I'd have to make that choice?'
Liam didn't want to linger in those thoughts, but they resisted his attempts to push them away. It was impossible to escape them after witnessing the other disciples' reaction to his talent.
Somehow, part of Liam realized his bloodline was more than just his greatest secret. It would probably act as an eternal barrier that would force him to keep other people away, especially those he cared about.
At least, that was until Liam completed his revenge.
Those troubling thoughts put a depressed look on Liam's face. Lucy had been quite annoyed at those goodbye-like last words, but her anger steadily retreated, unable to survive Liam's genuine reactions.
"I told you," Lucy sighed. "You are a member of the Pale Moon Sect now, so it's Senior Sister Lucy."
Liam snapped out of his depressing thoughts and looked at Lucy, some hopeful disbelief spreading inside him.
"Go bathe," Lucy smiled. "I'll get you a clean robe and begin teaching you the basics. The Sect can't have its nine-roots genius still calling cultivators Uncles, Misses, and Sirs."